love | Advanced Dental

May 10, 2017

Joy

I’ve been thinking a lot about this subject this year. A lot. Here are some things I’ve discovered:

Joy is a choice. A choice that a person must deliberately and constantly make if joy is to be had.

Joy is a habit. So are cynicism and negativity. It’s easy to fall into our old thought habits. Which ones do you fall into? Joyful thoughts or negative ones?

Joy really has very little to do with what is going on around me. I can be in a pit, but how bad the situation feels is directly correlated to how much joy I allow into that pit with me.

Joy is the most attractive quality a person can possess.

It’s never too late to choose joy. Try it. Try it right now.

Do this: pay attention to your thoughts for as long as you can. Look at them as they flit across your brain. Are they joyful, negative, neither? If you come across a negative thought, pay attention to it and try to reframe it as a positive thought. For example: If a car cuts me off in traffic and I notice I’m thinking negative thoughts about that driver, try to change that anger or bitterness to something positive, such as, “I wonder if that driver realizes s/he cut me off? I hope s/he arrives safely.” Or, “That person doesn’t seem to be having a very good day. I hope his/her day turns around.” Give others the same benefit of the doubt you would wish for yourself. Send those positive vibes or prayers out. You may be amazed at the transformation you feel when you start doing this. I was. I continue to be amazed.

En-joy!

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December 8, 2016

Self-Differentiation (Staying Above the Fray)

Have you ever been in the situation where you were roped into a conflict without realizing it? This used to happen to me all the time. My son would be running late for school, unable to find his sneakers, for example, and meltdown. (He’s an adolescent.) The next thing I knew, I was arguing with him about putting his things where they belong and why he didn’t set them out the night before, etc. The argument escalates and you both part angry.

You know the script. You’ve probably done this routine many times. What had started out as a perfectly serene day for you is now full of conflict and irritation. Do you wonder why this happened? If you think it’s just because the other person is irresponsible, disorganized, (fill in your own adjective here), etc. think again. The problem is that you were drawn into the situation, seemingly against your will. Why and how did that happen?

November 10, 2016

United We Stand

Wow. What a week it’s been. Could anyone have predicted this election cycle, including the plot twists and turns that happened weekly during the past two years? Like many Americans, I can say that I have never experienced the divisiveness and hatred that I’ve witnessed during these past two years. Like most Americans, I can also say, “I’m glad that’s over.” But is it, really? Something ugly was stirred up in our collective reality. Can we ignore it? Can we afford to? I can tell you from painful experience that ignoring a festering wound by covering it with a Band-Aid just makes things worse.

July 6, 2016

Revolution

Recently I had the great good fortune to hear a sermon by the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, the Most Rev. Michael Curry. We were in St. Augustine Episcopal Church in Gary, Indiana. Bishop Curry is a humble man who exudes joy and love. If you ever have the chance to hear him speak, do it!

Bishop Curry’s sermon was on one of his favorite themes: the Jesus Movement. He shared with us that Jesus didn’t come to start a church or a religion. He came to start a revolution. He said that the revolution is based on two commandments: Love God and Love Your Neighbor as Yourself. He said that if we did those two things, God could change the world.

I’ve been thinking about that since I heard him speak. I think that no matter what religion a person is, or even if a person ascribes to no faith tradition at all, this is a message for all humanity.

What would that look like? What would it look like if each of us committed to loving the person we were with in each moment? Now, I didn’t say “like” the person we are with or “agree” with the person we are with. I said “love.” To love someone is to wish him well; to want good things for her; to recognize God reflected in his eyes.

[To like someone, I would argue, means to want to spend time with that person. There are plenty of people I love with whom I don’t necessarily want to spend time, nor with whom I agree, but I do wish them well and want good things for them.]

May 12, 2016

Good Hands

Have you ever had that experience when you just know you’re in good hands? You don’t even have to think about it. My IT guy is like that. I call him and I know that in this area where I am mostly outside of my skill set, I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to worry that I’ll be taken advantage of, that I will be “upsold,” that my problem won’t be resolved. I know that I can trust him, that he will do a great job, and that he’ll charge me a fair price. Every time. Check that off my list of things to worry about.

April 15, 2016

Impact

Who has made an impact on you, on your life? It doesn’t have to be the most significant impact or the most profound influence. Is there someone who comes to the surface of your mind when you ask yourself that question? Are you still in contact with him? Does he know what an impact he had on your life? When was the last time you told him about his influence?

I challenge you today. Right now. Take a moment and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write a letter to that person to tell her how she has impacted your life; what a difference she has made in your life.

What would happen if you called that person to tell him what he has meant to you and your life? Would it be a big risk? What is holding you back? Now, call that person. Right now. Don’t put it off. Read your letter to him. If that person is no longer alive, read the letter to someone he loved.

Now, how do you feel? If I were a betting person I’d say you feel pretty great. How would it feel to be on the receiving end of that call?

What’s holding you back? Don’t wait. You’ll be glad you did this! To see this in action, watch the video below:

January 21, 2016

Law of Attraction

Have you heard of the Law of Attraction? Wikipedia says:

“The law of attraction is the name given to the maxim “like attracts like” which in New Thought philosophy is used to sum up the idea that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts a person brings positive or negative experiences into their life.”

Is it possible? Is it true? Does it exist? Does it matter? What if it is, if it is, if it does, if it does? Can we act as though it is possible and true? What does that mean?

November 12, 2015

Meaning

Meaning. What gives meaning to our lives? As adults, I think it’s something we often search for, whether consciously or not. Some find meaning in religion, relationships, learning, challenging ourselves. By listing these, I don’t mean to minimize them. Each of them can be a profound source of meaning for individuals. Some of them are for me too.

I think that these items, though, are all related to one word: Values. I think that if we are clear about our values, we will be more likely to live according to them and to find our lives have meaning.

March 20, 2015

Upcoming Move

I want to tell you why I’m so excited about our upcoming move. At Advanced Dental we are all about giving our very best to each and every patient – one patient at a time. For years I’ve been dissatisfied because we have outgrown our current location. Because of that I feel like we’ve fallen short on delivering our very best to each patient. Space is limited, resources were unavailable, the waiting room cold in the winter.

In our new location, we will have everything we need in abundance to deliver on our mission: our best to each patient, one at a time. We will be expanding to 6 dental chairs with monitors in every operatory for patients to see images of their teeth, both from the digital x-rays and from the intraoral camera. There will be a dedicated sterilization area that, while visible to the patients, will be protected from traffic. We will have a private operatory for patients requiring extra privacy; sedation and implant patients, for example. The inside entrance will allow people to wait for loved ones in a comfortable setting with a coffee bar to treat themselves.

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